CORONAVIRUS HAS NOW BECOME REAL

Local panic buying at least is an indication that a lot of people are finally taking notice. Grocery stores and pharmacies are awfully popular right now. Everything else not so much. Certainly our authorities belatedly have closed arenas, schools and universities. Large public gatherings are being discouraged. Even churches with large congregations are postponing their Sunday morning services. Air travel has dropped significantly although more is needed.

My daughter has a Phd. in Biology and her husband a Phd. with a double major namely Chemistry/Biology. They are professionally involved with both a university and a hospital in Vancouver. Our weekly phone chats have been supplemented with her calling us now weekly with updates on the coronavirus. Her quote is that it is going to get "ugly". She has pointed out two members of our family here in Elmira, Ontario who are at particular risk due to age and health and she is suggesting that we do their grocery shopping etc. for them.

Public areas and surfaces are being sanitized more frequently. Stores, health clubs and more are putting out hand sanitizers to be used both coming in and exiting from their facilities. Health/fitness clubs that remain open are advising members to immediately sanitize equipment and machines that they have just used and the wipes/sanitizers are available right there. I expect that restaurants and movie theatres will already be feeling the pinch. It definitely is not business as usual. Companies whose employees spend the bulk of their day on computers are either being sent home to work or being told that they have that option.

Keep in mind that always expanding GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and economic growth rely on more and more people i.e. more consumers. This was never a sustainable model and yet all our authorities have embraced it forever. Economic growth and expansion have caused our climate change emergency and population growth and overcrowding combined with readily available international travel have caused this pandemic. This is a warning humanity. Ignore it at all our peril.